Hawaii Holomua, Volume II, Number 5, 24 September 1894 — DEATH OF A KING [ARTICLE]

DEATH OF A KING

Kmg T**bi*o cf New ZMlan>i ,iifdon Aognst the J6th at Ki »i kihi. New Ze«Umi. Ti»e de ce«sed w«s the bighest clmf among the Maoris aiul rctiiced Lis title as King ur,til hi* death He was abon< 70Ve»rs o!d and witoessod dnr:cg lus life tbe transformstion of Zealand from a barbmons ccAntry into the higbly citiiiKd St,.te of the pre*<<ent date. Tbe late King wa» a »on o( Te Wberowbero witb whom nobody j conld compare in geneal gy iu j New Zealand. lawhiao w-.,s never ostecnu<l a very al»,e man . atuongst the Maoris, b.«t bA iilustrious de«reut, and bis havjng succeeded to all tbe titlcs of iis father, caus» d him to be up to by tbe natives witb a kiu 1 of vener*tion. Vi His ex|>eriencC6 witb tbo tnis-\ gionaries were told in an intsr- j view with a newspaper aoiae ' voars ago. Tbey do not ditfer inneh from the experiences wliieh lbe old Hawaiians had w it’n tlu ir “beloved toachers oi* christianity ! and mortg<gos ’lhe ,»ld king stntcd “Tlie first inission- i Hiifs iu \\ aikuto vero St«n k, ( Hamlins, Williama aud Morgan. The roispionarios told nsthat we should be burned up nnles- , we bolieved. A Lur<ipean eanie ; to osk tny ftther 1o sign tlm trea- | tv of Waitawgi. That European whs the missionary Mr Maunaell. , [Tbe Ven. Archdoacon Maun- | sell.] He had a Ma >ri with him. My fatlier refused to sign. Mr|. Mauuscli rcmarked to tbo Maori. ; “Tbis ignorant oUl man. if he had sigued 1 wonhl haven given him u hlankel.” My fatlier’s • name was atterwnrds put to the treatv fmt it vo» nt>vr »iT<tt<«i 6w t In 1892 Tawbiao was offl-r»<l a | Govornmont peuaion ol £210 n ! vear, but acting on the ndvice of I his chief adliereuts he fonualiy repudinted in hisoffici«l gii7.ette, i pnblished at Maungikawrt, thc idea of surrendcring up hisau | thority to the Governroeut. He i n*turnc<l tlie first instalmont, and ' thus ended all attempts to luake him a Goveruraeut peusioner. i With many weakoesse8 aml f )i- 1 •» bles. Tawhiao )ia<l n dcn ible I patriotisui. nml refused a bait | whieh wouul have been eagerly | snapped up by mnny of hi« Euro- j poan critics. At one time he j might Lave ha<l a somi-< fficia1 | position ns Nitive Superinleudeut aml .£1000 a-yoar for life if j he woukl have surreodered what ! he regarded as tho cause of his j conntry aud his couutrvmen. The old King who never weu tto | chnrch or Sunday School is now j with bis foref.itbers and gone to j unkoown p!«cos May Le tlierv moei the Ven. Archdeaeon Mauu- ! sell and the otlier missi<>nancs — ' that is. if the plaee is wanu i •nongh to go without a blanket ;